First Contact
by MadEyeArcher
Summary: Savannah Skydottir, a pleasant youth just out of eight years of rigorous training as a dragon rider for the country of Alegesia. With freedom and a century of peace around her, she seeks more, she seeks adventure. Morgan Robinsdottir, a descendent of Naga and Grima, her blood wars within her veins as she fleas home to avoid another war.
1. Uncommon Ground

"Spoken common tongue"

'thought common tongue'

 _"Spoken ancient language"_

 _'Thought ancient language'_

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Uncommon Ground**

 _Thump, thump, thump._

White wings tipped with luminescent lime green colored feathers beat heavily against the air beneath them as the majestic dragon soared over the oceans. Her wings were heavy from travel, and her body pushed itself with each breath. The dragon decided this journey was the dumbest idea she'd ever had.

Then, on the horizon, the dragon was certain her eyes weren't teasing her this time, she was certain she saw it. Land! And enough to actually rest on! The girl felt energy return to her weary wings as she pushed forward in a heavy surge towards the grey silhouette on the horizon.

Colors blurred by in her rush to stretch her other limbs after a week of either flying or swimming. Her body vibrated with the need for release as the shadows took form and a mountain grew on the horizon. It's rounded grass covered hill showed that these islands had been here for millennia untouched. The mere presence of ground to walk on made her think of home. A welcoming place she would be safe at. At least, she would be safe so long as she remained awake. That dark laughter in her dreams wouldn't let her forget. She still tried to though, as she flew away from her memories and towards the patch of earth before her.

The land barely rose any further as she neared it, the single rolling hill marking the only noticeable shape on it. The dragon let out a jet of blinding white light in glee at the sight before finally approaching to land.

The dragon's body barely registered the land beneath her before she was encompassed in light and stood on her hind legs. Quickly, her whole body shrank to half its size and lost its scales and wings in exchange for soft pale skin. Her feathered serpentine head replaced by a green haired girl in the early days of her prime, her slim body being revealed by a tight pink scale leathered two piece outfit. The upper half fully covering her petite chest while the bottom were matching shorts. The girl's arms slackened as they released a silver stone held within a necklace at her throat, the remaining glow fading into the stone. Morgan grinned right before she fainted from exertion as the magic finally left her body.

 _Thump._ The soft green grass caressed her as everything went black.

* * *

' _Finally! Eight years in training and we finally get to travel instead of being sheriffs to an entire continent my friend.'_ A rather lean and tall brown haired girl squirmed in her leather saddle as she sat upon her partner's back.

The great dragon beneath her hummed his approval, his brown-nearly-golden scales appeared to vibrate beneath the girl. ' _Indeed Savannah, maybe we can find something new. Hearing about a century of peace leaves me wondering what's left out there.'_

The pair gazed about them as they shared their thoughts. Savannah's chest tight with anticipation of the unknown. Her homeland had lasted a century of peace under the ideas of Eragon Kingkiller, and it left many free to see the truly rare sights of Alagaesia, such as the gem flowers that were scattered about the south, or the stone forest within the Beor Mountains. With the birth of her partner, Savannah was able to travel west to the roosting place of the Dragon Riders and began her training. Those eight years of magic, sword, and mental practice left her cooped up, instilling a wanderlust into the young girl that had always been a trait of her partner.

When they had finally leapt off the tropical and mountainous island of the riders into the skies a week ago it had left them both bursting with joy. They traversed the emptiness of the sea, only noting the life beneath them as they used the energy of the creatures faintly in order to sustain themselves. This left them a bit more docile as they fell back to their usual selves, relaxed yet brimming with energy at the chance of discovery.

 _Thump, thump, thump_

The heavy wingbeats of what both assumed could only be a dragon were heard over the horizon. Whatever that beast was, it was either massive, or on death's door in its exhaustion to pump forward.

Merging with her partner's mind to see clearer, Savannah barely made out a dragon unlike any before. Its scales shone with brilliant white radiance tipped in green, and its head, while serpentine like most others, had feathers behind its pointed ears. Feathers also seemed to cover its wings. ' _Set, what… what are we looking at? Alagaesia's dragons don't have feathers but...'_

' _I do not know my friend, but whatever it is, even if it is a different kind of dragon, it looks exhausted. Perhaps we should assist it.'_ Savannah subconsciously nodded her head in agreement as Set increased his leisurely pace to catch up with the green and white dragon-like creature, only to hear it roar as blinding white flame left its maw before crashing to a nearby uninhabited island.

' _It would appear it hadn't been on land for some time, much like us-'_ Savannah's thoughts froze as the creature touched down and became engulfed in light. Neither she nor her partner could gather details from within the light, but when it faded, a human looking girl looking at least two years younger than Savannah collapsed into the ground without further thought ' _SET_!'

' _I see!'_ The brown dragon surged with multiple heavy flaps of his wings as he soared over to the collapsed figure. Upon approach, Savannah tried to connect her mind to the girl but something akin to a void of pure hatred froze her in place. The pair landed gently before Savannah leapt the eight feet from her partner's back to the ground to rush over to the fallen individual, ignoring whatever that feeling was in the individual's mind.

Savannah checked immediately for a pulse and sighed in relief when she found it. Thanking whatever spirits may be around for that miracle, and her medical training under the riders, she then cast a few examination spells. Something to identify poisons or disease, and then another for physical maladies. Neither came back positive for anything immediately worrisome, however, the first spell did inform her that something wrong was coursing through the girl's system that clearly was foreign in presence, alleviating her worry she might be helping heal a monster.

' _Set, what should we do with her? It's a week's flight if we go about it smart this time to get to the riders, and by the looks of her, that'd be too long.'_

The dragon gazed down at his rider and felt her concern before he bowed his head in thought. ' _Rest here and keep an eye on her should she wake. I won't fly far, but I shall gather enough fish and the sort to feed the girl and give us a break from merely stealing the energy of everything around us for the night. That is the best we can do I think.'_

The young rider nodded as she went to do as her friend stated and began unpacking their supplies so Set could hunt without worry. ' _Very well. Good hunting my friend.'_

' _And good healing to you.'_ With the last of the few saddlebags, and saddle itself removed, Set leapt from the hillside into the water and began his hunt. Savannah gave a wistful sigh at the sight before going back to her patient. Not wanting to stare overlong, but her concern dominating her thoughts, left the girl deciding how she'd spend these silent minutes or hours if it turned out that way.

With the land as healthy as it was, and the foothill ever so sloped, Savannah decided she'd do as she did back on the islands. She'd gaze up at the clouds and dream of the journeys she would have, once given permission of course. With her patient in mind, she rested the other girl's head in her lap so she would know immediately when she woke up, since brushing her mind apparently wasn't an option with whatever that foreign presence had been. Once comfortable, Savannah let her thoughts wander with the shapes overhead and a faint sea breeze caressing her sun kissed skin.

* * *

Morgan's body felt warm. She couldn't remember the last time the sun was actually out for her to nap under. It felt nice. The pillow she was on might be a bit hard in places, but otherwise, it was comfy and she almost wanted to squirm into it a bit better, but was stopped by the gentlest of hands running through her hair...

'What the-' The Manakete's brown eyes snapped open to survey her surroundings. Her head appeared to be in another girl's lap, specifically on top of a leather tunic that showed it's age with how it hugged her slim form. The girl herself had brown hair and green eyes that had a faraway gaze in them as she stared up at the clouds. Morgan humored herself and followed that green gaze only to see a great brown dragon descend before them and bow his head as he dropped a large amount of fish before the two girls. His head turned to her and two golden eyes blinked in sentient acknowledgement before he seemed to take a step back and nod at the food.

The girl seemed to come to at this point and smiled down at her before she spoke in a language Morgan couldn't understand, but for some reason it's meaning came across the gap. Maybe it was the body language, or the fact Morgan saw the makings of a campsite on this mound of land, but she was pretty certain these two individuals meant her no harm.

The sense of comfort remained with Morgan as she laid in her current position, but she wished not to overstay her welcome in such a position so she stretched her weary limbs, that shook in protest of the action,and sat up fully. "Thanks for looking out for me during my nap. Name's Morgan. What's yours?"

After a slight bit more talk in that weird lyrical language that seemed to just flow off the tongue, the other girl seemed to flawless swap to Morgan's own language. "My name is Savannah Skydottir, and this is my partner in all but body, Set Dusktreader. It was enjoyable watching you rest, you seemed so content as the hours passed."

'Whoa, what? Hours? How long was I asleep?' Morgan's mind raced with thoughts. She tried to recall everything and suddenly remembered her very long journey out to sea, and the following collapse on the first island she had found.

A look seemed to pass over the other two's faces at her jumbled up thoughts before a voice seemed to rumble like a waterfall from within her mind. ' _Rest easy child, we found you right as you collapsed and you only slept long enough for me to get us all food. The sun has barely crested its zenith.'_

Both dragon and rider laughed as the definitely sore girl leapt back at Set's words in her mind and nearly fell in pain. "Don't mind Set, he's friendly and won't invade your mind, we just wanted to find a way to communicate with you, seeing as you slept so soundly I couldn't penetrate your mental barrier."

"Umm what? Since when were dragons telepathic? Even Grima had to use his mouth to speak." Morgan's mind was aflutter anew at the scene before her, and she was quickly drowned in her amazement.

Savannah could tell the girl was quick to fall into her thoughts and decided to put a hand on her to pull her back to the ground. "Relax Morgan, where I come from dragons are one of the most magically powerful races, they can, with the right inspiration, create many miracles."

The rider took quick note of the poorly hidden facial expressions across the young girl's face and silently thanked the spirits again for her knowledge of that language spell so she could keep this chat going. "I see you have questions, and I might have answers. How about we make a trade, I answer a question, then you answer a question? After all, this island clearly indicates neither of us are locals. Let's trade in knowledge."

The green haired girl nodded, clearly liking the deal. "A cultural exchange huh? I like that plan. Okay, let's go!"

Savannah's chest vibrated a hint of a chuckle at Morgan's exuberance. "Good, so seeing as I answered your question about Set. Why don't you answer me this, what are you? Where I come from, not even the elves could transform their bodies as effortlessly as you just did."

Morgan leapt up onto her legs, soreness forgotten, and grinned widely, clearly happy to share this with Savannah. "That's an easy one, I'm what is called a Manakete. Well, heheh, a half Manakete at least. My father is human while my mother is a Manakete. We are technically dragons but way over two thousand years ago the dragons of my land, based on Set's appearance, a completely different species, started falling into madness. No reason why, they just did. The elder divine dragons, led by my grandmother Naga, decided the safest course of action that would allow the race to continue living would be by sealing away their power within dragonstones, like my necklace. So I'm technically a dragon when I want to be. Looking human has somewhere along the line became my base form." Morgan then flashed a smile at her companions before taking a step back and grinning. "This doesn't count as my question, but care for a demonstration?"

At the pair's nods, the green haired girl clutched her stone and with focused eyes let the energy flow through her. Her body was engulfed in light, her clothes and skin melded into white scales, her green hair fanned out into feathers along her bird like wings and on the sides of her reptilian skull. Savannah quickly reached her mind towards the girl and gasped as she felt the Manakete open up a conduit to the stone before the two merged into the one majestic dragon before her.

' _I like her. We could actually share this one.'_ Savannah slapped Set for his comment. He could be such a boy at times that it was amusing, especially since Savannah noticed her thoughts had begun to mirror his at times, leaving her to wonder if he had influenced her thoughts in regards to romance, even if she'd never admit it out loud.

' _Set! Bad dragon!'_ The chuckle that rumbled forth could've easily been mistaken as a growl, but wasn't in the current company, as Morgan shifted back to quizzically look at the pair.

"I'm not going to ask about that, don't want to waste my question on something personal with all this knowledge just begging to be learned. So instead I think I'll ask what you meant by you two being partners in all but body. I'm beginning to understand the mind thing considering how Set said hello, but the rest eludes me."

The light draconic chuckle became a full on laugh for two seconds as Set tried to look serious and failed. Savannah was still glaring at her friend when she answered. "I'm a Dragon Rider. Set hatched just for me because he saw me as worthy of the task, even with my terrible sword and magic skills. When first I touched him, this appeared." The rider then turned towards her Manakete companion and pulled off her left hand glove to reveal a tattoo that looked like a fire swirling around in her palm to form a lowercase 'e.' "This is the gedwey ignasia, the brand that binds dragon and rider, making them one being. Our lives are tied together, so long as I live, Set does, and vice versa."

Unsure how to politely continue their trade, Savannah went over to the pile of fish and cleaned their upcoming meal with an uncomfortable face. "Well, at least I didn't have to feel them die…" Wanting not to linger on those thoughts, the girl addressed her companion for the meal. "So, considering we are stuck with fish, care telling me what way your people cook them? I took up an elven diet once I joined the riders so I haven't a clue how to cook these things. Doesn't help I was twelve and lived in Carvahall before joining. Fish never were cooked that far north."

Morgan's face scrunched up in thought, thinking over the few occasions she could remember having eaten fish. "Well… my mom always made it nice and simple, just some lemon, butter, and a nice cooking fire. Though that's a rather common, quick, and easy meal in Valm. I once tried a meal Tharja cooked for me. Bad idea, anything from Plegia tends to be on the brink of rot, learned that the hard way. My father, while technically not from Ylisse, has mostly adopted their ways after he became the Exalt's left hand, so he makes it in a simple breading. Then there's Ragna Ferox, Khan Basilio once had to cook us a dinner during the war, he didn't even try. Just threw the fish on the fire and took them off later with stick, impressive how nothing burned, but not the best."

The girl seemed to look around as she spoke, as if she hoped any of her ingredients would show themselves. This left Savannah to sigh in defeat since she knew she brought no such things. "Sorry to say, but no spices or anything here, these will be plain."

Morgan shrugged her shoulders, slightly disappointed, but not enough for her smile to droop. "So you keep mentioning elves, and a thing about adopting their eating habits. What's all that about?"

Savannah went to the next part of dealing with the fish, now that at least three had been cleaned for the girl's to eat. "The elves were once mortal like humans, but after they became the first dragon riders through a pact and truce with dragons to end a great war. This prolonged their lives indefinitely and increased their magic. Later on, humans were added to the pact. Then, a century ago, dwarves and urgals also got brought in. Anyhow, the elves live in the woods of Du Weldervarden north of the human country of Alagaesia where they live in harmony with life. As magically inclined creatures they tend to expand their minds outside their own bodies. This is something all riders are taught by the way. Open ourselves to the universe and become a speck of dust watching as every little detail works in synchronization to complete the simple goal that is living. That kind of connection makes it hard to eat meat, especially after walking in the animal's feet seconds before, and possibly even during, its death."

Savannah couldn't help but smile at the goofy grin that spread over Morgan's face as she explained the culture of the elves, from their love of nature, to lack of love and children, though with the return of the dragons it sounded like a few were prospering again. All the while she cast a simple fire into existence to cook the fish on. "Your homeland sounds like a fairytale. All these magical races while mine have all but died off. Only humans truly remain though a few Taguel and the like remain."

"You know, you're making it hard to choose my next question with all these things you keep mentioning. First all those places, now a different race." Savannah couldn't help but whine a little, feeling like the conversation had been relatively dry so far with little personal information on the interesting Manakete. She was beginning to want to know the girl rather than that war she brought up, or those people, or even those kingdoms. There was just too much to chose from and yet she couldn't help but rather learn what such a happy person was doing so far out at sea.

The green haired girl's goofy grin twisted just a little at the whine, which gave it a look that made Savannah's gut curl with nerves. She'd been around enough trainees in the last eight years to know the look of a mischief maker. "Oh? Too much to sort through? Sorry, I inherited my dad's love of learning so anything to gain makes me ramble. Tell you what, you take me to your homeland so I don't ramble with my questions, and I'll let you sort through my mind on the journey as you said Set could do earlier. Maybe you can even help me remember anything before the war that ended two years ago in doing so."

' _Set?'_ Savannah knew her life at peace made her naive in most every way, but being trained by dragons and riders who had lived through a war firsthand made her at least try and break that trusting habit of hers.

' _I'd take the offer. As far as I can tell, she only knows about entering minds from us. The worst harm she could do is break a few elves hearts with her being a dragon.'_

Savannah sighed. She knew she couldn't argue her partner's logic, even if that malign feeling still worried her. "Very well, I'll take you with me. However, I first need you to swear an oath you won't cause any chaos in the ancient language."

"You mean what you spoke in first? It was really nice, I wish I could learn it." Morgan's face seemed wary, but her curiosity was beyond dominant in its bubbliness.

Savannah struggled to not acknowledge how cute the other girl seemed in that moment, and went to speak a simple enough phrase. "Well, you can start by saying ' _I will not cause problems while being Savannah Skydottir's guest.'_ It's merely you swearing to behave while being my guest." Morgan's shockingly successful attempt at the oath was a good enough moment that Savannah could indulge that part of herself she had begun to quit denying in the privacy of her own mind thanks to Set's endless prodding. ' _Cute'_

After her personal accomplishment at repeating a language never heard before flawlessly, though it did feel similar to an ancient draconic Naga used once with Tiki, Morgan smiled up at Savannah and gestured towards the food that had been haphazardly cooked over a magical flame. "Ok, so now that I've sworn to be a good girl, what say we eat and actually find some common ground?"

While the food was as bland as could be, Morgan at least enjoyed the company. Once both girls dropped the business-like facade, they were able to actually talk freely. Set even joined in while eating what remained of the pounds of fish he had caught while the other two settled for just two each.

"So let me get this straight, you spent eight years on an isolated island where even after a century, is more male than female in population at this training keep, and you never dated before?" Morgan was honestly at a loss how the girl managed that. Heck, even she had gone on a date with Inigo during the war, even if it was just to torment the poor boy some. She did make it up to him a few days later however and paid him back for the meal though.

Savannah shrugged, a gentle blush on her cheeks that could've been mistaken as light sunburn if it weren't for the fact Morgan had already confirmed that the other girl used her magic to keep from burning while flying for days on end. "No, can't say that I have. None of the guys interested me, and they could tell. Benefit of a place focused around training our minds as well as our bodies, idiots vanish in drills."

The Manakete cracked a grin when she noticed the other girl's phrasing. "You said the boys didn't catch your interest. Normally I'd let that slip, but I've got two friends who make me wonder if that's as specific as you say."

Savannah wished she could bury her head in something, anything to avoid those prying brown eyes. "Well, heheh, I don't know. I blame Set here for looking at everything female, even if it's the wrong species, he seems to respect and admire all female beauty."

"Oh, so your dragon has corrupted your mind you say? I don't believe it, I think you are just a little shy." Morgan leaned forward from her seat on the other side of the now empty fire pit, a grin on her face.

' _A little help Set?!'_ Savannah heard her partner's chuckle at her panic before she was given her response.

Morgan grinned slightly as she heard the dragon chuckle from behind his rider. ' _I think I'll sit this out. She has you cornered here my friend, and I think you should admit it before taking her to your room.'_

' _SET!'_ The grin only grew at the growing blush on Savannah's face and Set's merriment shaking the ground slightly with his deep chuckles.

"It must be nice having somebody who you can always go to…" Morgan said idly, seeing that maybe a change in subject would help calm Savannah's nerves. Clearly Set had really corrupted her thoughts.

"Yeah, not when he finds fun in my embarrassment." The brown haired girl was clearly flustered at this point, and Morgan wondered how much prodding it would take before that embarrassment became anger. It seemed Set had a great balancing act in play so far, and she felt no need to interfere too much. "Alright, alright, let's say I believe you for now and change the subject, which by the way, my friends won't admit they like each other like that either. What did you do if not be social during your free hours?"

"I daydreamed. I read. I learned cartography shockingly enough. I waited for the day I could travel outside of the known and into the unknown... Figures a week into that journey I run into a crazy half-dragon girl who's very annoying and already plans on staying around. Figures." Savannah began to recover from her earlier embarrassment as she thought over her free time on the islands, and how alone she felt in all social groups. Hers and Set's wanderlust was well known on that sheltered set of land and it left her sad because it reminded her why she never humored any thoughts of romance. No wonder Set harassed her about it all the time. "What about you, you said you were at war, what did you do to pass the time?"

"Heh, I mostly pranked everybody in the army. They let it pass because I was so young and the master tactician's daughter. Add to that I was the daughter of Valm's religious prophetess, so I had a lot of leeway in what I could and couldn't do. However, even with that in mind I never pushed anyone too hard and instead spent more time reading to be like my father, learning more about strategy and planning, alongside helping out where I could. For how dark the days were, I have surprisingly fond memories of the war. So few of us died…" Morgan's eyes began drifting as an invisible weight appeared to fall onto her shoulders.

The sight of the green haired girl's distant and melancholy face made Savannah want to hold her and bring that smile back. "Hey now, no need to dwell on those memories now. While I sadly have to admit you'll be reliving them on our journey south and west as I get my answers from your mind, we don't need to go down that road right now. How about you tell me about before the war?"

Savannah bit her tongue as a look of pure defeat fell upon the other girl's face at the mention of her past. "I can't. I would if I could, but the memories don't exist, so I can't."

The brown haired girl caved to the impulse and reached across the fire to hold the girl and wiped the traces of possibly formed tears in her eyes.

At least she did until she felt a grin pressed against her shoulder. "I knew-!"

And what could have been a peaceful moment was ruined. Savannah clamped her hand over Morgan's mouth as she glared down at the younger girl. "Don't finish that thought."

Morgan chuckled into the palm over her mouth and debated what to do next as she stared into the hard forest green eyes that glared down at her innocent brown ones. The two held each other's gazes, locked in a clash of wills that neither would retreat from. Their stares lasted a good minute before Savannah blinked and Morgan licked her hand to make the other girl let go. "HA! You blinked."

Savannah shook out her hand, bothered deeply by the other girl's cheery behavior. "And you licked my hand. I wouldn't exactly say you won."

Morgan grinned then licked her lips, and taunted the other woman further with half lidded eyes and sultry tone. "I don't know about that. Seemed like a win to me."

The rider was almost at wits end with the teasing and smiles. This Manakete seemed to just go nonstop and her nerves were beginning to fray the behavior that never stopped. Savannah looked to the sky in hopes the sun had set low enough to sleep, and while it had nearly reached the horizon, it was still sitting there above them. "Since I seem to be your little punchline right now, I think I'll just go to bed. When we wake we can prepare to head to the Islands of the Dragon Riders. Goodnight Morgan."

Savannah didn't even care to hear the goodnight be responded to before she let herself get her first true night of sleep in a week.

* * *

Set already knew he respected this new creature. She had dragon blood coursing through her veins, and their spirit in her heart. That respect only grew as they took flight. She flew beside him at points and gracefully would shift onto his back to tease Savannah. It was however, her willingness to leap back off him to resume her flight as a dragon that pleased him most. She was fun, she was alive, and if Set had a say, she would be in their company for some time to give Savannah those same traits.

Savannah was so content with her lazy behavior that at times it worried him. He chose her for that desire to travel and her gentle touch, but her ability to be content with so little stunned him. He truly hoped Morgan could give her more.

He could see her potential clearly through the images sifting through his partner's mind on their second day. Images of the war she had calmly mentioned. She had joined her parents army at age sixteen, following the orders of a man by name Chrom. The man was a fine leader, or Exalt as his people called him, and it showed when he listened wisely to his advisor's words. This advisor was one Set and Savannah took note of, for he was Robin, Morgan's father. The dragon and rider didn't fully understand what magics had been at play by this 'Divine Dragon Naga' which allowed the armies children to come back in time to save their future, but they soon realized it didn't matter too much in the long run except to forewarn the army of an impending threat.

Set's eyes lit with a fury at the mad dragon that rose from a mirror image of Morgan's father. This Fell Dragon, as they called it, brought shame to the species. It was intelligent to be sure, but so blinded by rage was it that Set would never call it anything but a husk of destruction. He had to admire Morgan and her parents in the final battle. The mother by name of Tiki stood alongside her daughter and both breathed a radiant white light that held the enemy at bay while Robin charged his double and summoned up a swirl of… something, and killed both him and Grima, erasing both of them from existence.

Savannah retreated from Morgan's mind after that and Set followed his rider to listen in on the girls upon his back. She needed to strengthen herself after she felt the crushing loss Morgan had that day. That girl was strong, Savannah didn't doubt it, but now she knew it. Holding her own against an unending horde and leaving the victor is not easy. The fact she maintained her joy that she held throughout that conflict and harnessed to keep morale up was a miracle.

"You know, you didn't even see what us survivors referred to as the true end of the war." Morgan had flopped onto Set's back behind her and leaned in to hug Savannah, which the older girl admitted to herself she needed after she saw all that slaughter. "My dad may have died that day, but his spirit lived on. It lived on free of Grima, and as he says still to this day, the ties that bind us will never break. Everyone's belief in him brought his spirit back from the brink, and Naga gifted him a body so her daughter would not be abandoned to this world by yet another love."

"So how long was he thought dead?" Savannah's voice cracked under the emotional strain she felt.

The rider felt the girl behind her swallow a lump in her throat more than heard it with their current closeness. "Three months."

Neither girl noticed Set slow enough Savannah could do what she did safely. The girl unstrapped herself from her seat and with grace and inhuman flexibility slung a leg up and over Set's neck and spikes, nearly brushing her face with the limb, and turned to fully embrace Morgan. "I'm so sorry. If I hadn't felt your pain first hand just now, I wouldn't have understood. I'd never lost anyone in my life like that, and it breaks my heart knowing you did."

Morgan fell into the embrace, and let the tears that came with the memory come forth. She knew, even with the comfort of the fact her father was still alive, she'd always feel that death and the sadness that followed that battle atop Grima's back. Her thanks were muffled into Savannah's leather shirt, which Morgan now understood the purpose of, and was part of why she rotated between dragonback and flight. Alagaesian dragon scales were rougher than a Manaketes and the constant contact while in flight chafed at the skin. She was unfortunately in her bare minimum with shorts and bikini top that cooperated best with transforming without accidentally tearing in the process, so she knew prolonged exposure would be bad.

Those thoughts flowed through her mind, more to distract her than anything else, and led to her noticing a brush burn starting to form on her inner thighs. The Manakete looked up into green eyes that held a gentleness far different from the hard glare from before their nap, which comforted the girl more than she thought it would. Well, that pushed it, she knew exactly why that soft look comforted her, and it just made her grin wickedly. "Thanks Savannah, but unless you either want me to ride in your lap, or you ride my back, you should probably let go."

Oh yeah, that look definitely cheered Morgan up. It looked like the girl was beginning to realize her feelings, but still wouldn't express them vocally. The sight before the Manakete was something between a glare and trying not to blush. Both of which were cute in their own right, but the struggle to hold both made Morgan giggle with enough joy to leap before she looked… or before Savannah could let go, much to Set's amusement.

The two girls free fell for only a few seconds before the rider found herself caught by her jacket in the maw of a white dragon who quickly adjusted her onto its back. Savannah was shocked at the differences between Morgan and Set, the lack of spikes running the spinal cord, and the general softness of her skin, the leather almost velvety in feel. Morgan was also far smaller than an Alagaesian dragon would be at her age. She was only twelve feet from snout to tail while Set, who was half her age and small for his own age, was thirty when fully outstretched. The feathers Morgan had felt just like her hair, which made sense in Savannah's mind. The sheer onslaught of new sensations actually made her gasp, not expecting to learn so much from a simple touch.

Of course it was at this moment Set decided now would be a good time to remind his rider of his presence in her mind. ' _I see you are enjoying yourself my friend. Should I be concerned you found a new partner?'_

Savannah was grateful neither dragon could see the gentle blush begin on her face. ' _No, we are bound together and I'd never abandon that bond. If I heard your musings earlier, I should think you'd be more concerned with sharing your rider.'_

Set chuckled in their shared thoughts before his voice became serious. ' _She could be good for you Savannah. I'd rather not have my partner be at a distance from everyone forever.'_

' _Maybe I'll humor you on that, but not until we know what to do with this girl. Her lands are still recovering from war and our presence would definitely be a threat to their currently fragile peace.'_ The blush only grew, but fortunately Morgan couldn't see as she flew beside Set. ' _It's really different being able to actually ride bareback.'_

Morgan seemed to vibrate like a cat purring, giving Savannah a good idea of her thoughts on this current situation as she stroked a spot on the back of her neck, just admiring the different feel of it from Set. "You know Morgan, you're a lot easier to bear when you're like this-"

Said dragon promptly pushed upward before rolling onto her back and becoming human as they free fell yet again. "That's just rude. Whatever you were going to insult, you know you enjoy it." Then Morgan seemed to notice their descent and went back to her flight, catching Savannah out of the air again.

Once situated comfortably on dragon-back again, Savannah reached out her mind to Morgan so they could speak in a less exciting fashion. ' _I really need to teach you how to reach out with your mind.'_

'Speak a language I understand! I'm certain you're insulting me in that beautiful language of yours I don't know.' The irritated voice gave Savannah some pleasure in the knowledge she could return the teasing.

'I said one day I'm going to have to teach you how to open your mind so we can speak without you throwing us into the air. Of course if I did that, I'd have to teach you how to protect your mind too.' Savannah couldn't restrain the little feeling of joy she had by having knowledge the other girl didn't, especially after she learned Morgan was adept with various weapons in human form, primarily with swords, bows, and lances.

The hum of agreement was an awkward feeling beneath Savannah with only her trousers interfering with it. 'That'd be nice. Maybe once we get to these islands we can do that.'

Savannah could feel the calm of Morgan's mind that was odd considering earlier in the trip, it had been such a rampant mess. 'Yes, until then, let's focus on getting there.'

'Agreed, onwards and upwards!' The white and green dragon flapped her wings and roared in joy as she pushed hard, accelerating the group's journey for a bit as they grew closer to the islands.

* * *

Notes: hello and welcome to First Contact, an idea brewed from not seeing two separate ideas happening and realizing that by overlapping I could actually write them. The two being,

Fire Emblem, Morgan being the daughter of Tiki, and granddaughter of Naga means she has divine blood. Being the daughter of Robin, avatar of Grima means she has Fell Dragon blood in her. I figured I'd ask what exactly such a bloodline would entail.

Inheritance Cycle, a far future au and general lack of female OCs.

So by the sounds of those two combined ideas, if anybody with knowledge on either story (preferably Fire Emblem Awakening) wishes to be a beta reader, that would be greatly appreciated. I need one to help bounce ideas off of and drag me out of areas I get stumped.

That out of the way, favorite, follow, review, do as you please but every little reaction counts. Until next whenever, have a nice life.


	2. Dragon Secrets

"Spoken common tongue"

'thought common tongue'

 _"Spoken ancient language"_

 _'Thought ancient language'_

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Dragon Secrets**

The Dragon Rider Islands were a sight to behold. Savannah knew this beforehand so she made sure to hold onto Morgan as they came into view. The audible gasp confirmed her suspicions that the Manakete wouldn't have been able to fly had she been airborne at that moment.

The islands consisted of five in total. Each shared the tropical trees that reached above the few normal sized huts, and the singular mountain at their central points. The mountains appeared to glow with windows at certain angles, revealing doors and openings large and often enough to house anything Morgan could guess at. At least until she saw a giant of a sapphire scaled dragon curled around the base of the tallest mountain on the nearest island. The dragon was roughly six hundred feet without including her tail, and she seemed to wrap around a sixth of the entire mountain.

The ancient beast reared her head when they approached, and Morgan felt a tsunami of a consciousness descend upon her. 'Savannah, welcome back. We thought it'd be years before you returned, not weeks. Nor did we expect you to bring a guest. Hello child, welcome to our islands. Know that one false move and you shall die. Eragon and I worked incredibly hard to bring my race back from extinction, and we will do anything to help keep the young ones safe.' The dragon's massive head craned to eye the girls closer before she blinked and went back to her relaxed state at the base of the mountain. 'Eragon is waiting for you all inside. He'd like to meet this new race in person.'

'Thank you Saphira. Morgan and I will make haste then.' Savannah nodded her head in an attempt at a bow before Set guided them below the trees, and came upon a gaping cavern that Morgan swore wasn't there originally. "The benefits of a century of peace in a land, while also hunting down and imprisoning anybody housing a drop of magical potential in their veins out of paranoia. We learn how to hide well." Savannah chuckled now being the one giving information to her inquisitive companion. The fact Morgan looked her dead on told her multiple questions had already arisen. "Alright, spit it out. What do you want to ask?"

"Well, since you offered… Why are mages persecuted?"

Savannah racked her brain for the history lesson she had ignored so long ago. "Well, a century ago, the Mad King Galbatorix started it in his paranoia, and when Eragon helped a group known as the Varden overthrow him, their leader continued it because she couldn't find a better solution."

Morgan seemed to pause and think over that simple bit of history before her brain caught something. "If the Eragon we are meeting is the same one as then, how exactly should I approach this Kingkiller? Is he like Chrom, preferring to blend in with the common folk, or would he rather be raised on a throne?"

Savannah shrugged and stopped their current walk through the caverns before a regular sized wooden door with no true indications of anything important behind it, "Treat him like the commoner he was before finding Saphira. While he has in the years shown his aptitude for diplomacy, he hates hollow words and public speaking." A calmness washed over the girls then as Savannah pushed aside the door and revealed a simple office room. Holes were carved into the walls to hold all the books and scrolls gathered in multiple languages. A simple stone desk sat in the middle of the room, drawing the eye to it and the tall man behind it. His ears were pointed like arrowheads, and his brown eyes and face angled much like a felines were easily visible under his short and messy brown hair. "May good fortune rule over you Eragon-elda."

Savannah raised two fingers to her lips as she spoke the last words in that lyrical language as the man did the same. "May peace live in your heart Savannah."

Morgan noted the greeting ritual happening before her with her thoughts barely contained when Savannah finished. "And the stars watch over you." Savannah then lowered her hand and whispered to Morgan to lower her mental shields. "You have questions Eragon-elda, and in all honesty, it'd be easier if we simply showed you. Especially considering the anomalies and feats of the dragons of Morgan's world."

The man, who Morgan just realized was the same Eragon she had just been talking about, nodded in relief. "Thank you Savannah, it gets tiring having matters be talked around from the riders who come and go as they please instead of directly addressing things. If it weren't for the competitions between races every two years, I'd be concerned a rebel faction was growing." Eragon then reached out with his mind which drowned Morgan's own much as Saphira had done. Morgan's entire brief life flashed before her eyes much faster than it had with Savannah, lasting only minutes instead of hours. This left her shocked as Eragon left her mind and returned fully to his own. "Interesting, may I see your dragonstone? I shall return it immediately, I just wish to compare it to something."

Morgan nodded and pulled the necklace off before her brain caught up with her body and caused her to jerk back briefly. "I'll let you do this, only if you tell me what you are comparing it to. You saw I seek knowledge and can even swear me to passivity and secrecy if you must, but I'd love to know. I may even be able to help you understand the stone."

Savannah watched as her teacher and commander paused to think over the matter at hand before he continued. "Very well, I shall have you swear an oath in the ancient language, which I note Savannah didn't explain the magnitude of such things, and tomorrow I shall show you what I speak of and you shall allow me to inspect your stone afterwards. Do we have an accord?"

Eragon reached a hand out, much like a merchant discussing wares, which Morgan quickly grasped and shook. "We do Kingkiller. Tomorrow both sides shall get what they seek. Until then, I am sworn to remain at Savannah's side."

The man simply smiled as he shook Morgan's hand before he released it. "Be careful Morgan, while Savannah is trustworthy, not all are. Also, anything said in the ancient language is both the truth as the speaker believes it, and an unbreakable oath. You don't strike me as foolish, but I'd rather warn you before you lose something else. And Savannah, take care of your guest and make sure to keep her away from where our youngest trainees are. We don't want any accidental injuries again." Morgan and Savannah both saw the teasing grin twitch for a second onto Eragon's face before disappearing back into his calm neutral look.

With those parting words, Eragon ushered the laughing Morgan and irritated Savannah out of his office and closed the door. Savannah was left frustrated and in her temper dragged Morgan off with her towards the comfort of her private spot without thinking. She doubted anyone used it these days as it was an uncomfortable march away and buried in woods too thick for adult dragons. It was her hideaway back during training, and now she needed it to regain control of her scattered brain. She wasn't even sure why Eragon's remark set her off, it wasn't her fault five years ago when a miscast spell broke several lanterns and caused a cave in because of their faulty, non-dwarven design… maybe it was just the reminder of having dug her way free in her need to see the sky again and in the process had accomplished a feat of endurance her body seemed incapable of since. Her incompetency stung at times, and was certain Morgan heard it in her loud steps through the overgrowth.

"Whoa there, you ok Savannah? And where are you taking me?" Morgan tried to skip while being dragged by Savannah, but with her plowing through weeds and roots, it was very difficult.

"Nothing, just remembering I'm probably the weakest rider here, and am currently going to a quiet place to forget how pathetic I actually am." Savannah kept her gaze forward as she spoke. A quiet hollowness hung in her voice. "Seeing the sky reflected in the waters helps me find peace." She then pulled harder and urged Morgan to pick up the pace as they weaved through the massive vegetation around them. Savannah tried repeatedly to steady her breathing to relax before giving up entirely on the failed actions. "Morgan, I'm sorry I'm losing my temper. It's just-"

Morgan attempted to put a hand onto one of Savannah's shoulders and spin her around to stare up at the girl and got a questioning, if somewhat defeated, look for her success in doing so.. "It's just you never had a reason to push yourself by the sounds of it. You told me you were the village tanner's daughter before Set, whom you got at age twelve. You had no direction so you just floated in the wind. It seemed on our flight here Set was determined we be a couple. Not sure why, but I could assume it's so you had somebody that gave you a reason to try harder instead of just trying." Morgan gave a cheeky grin at the girl who she was beginning to realize was easily stunned into silence. "Oh yeah, grand tactician's daughter, it makes one very observant. And by the way, I'm making this a date. You do need someone to kick your ass into gear."

Savannah grumbled as Morgan spun her around and gestured for her to lead on now that that scene was over with. The rider's mind still coming to terms with what was said. Did she truly lack any motivation up until now? Considering all she did was daydream and work at map making, maybe. A journey such as the one she planned would've let her run until she found something or something found her, yes. But was that why she planned it? Maybe. The Elder Riders and Elves didn't believe any religions, merely believing in a void at the end of one's life that they go to. Savannah doubted that and had faith that the spirits of the land helped guide everything. Her beliefs were frowned on, but at the same time, the oddity of finding Morgan when and where she did definitely was too random to justify as coincidence in her mind. Especially when they both retraced their routes and noticed neither was going exactly east or west, but also north, which made the odds of an encounter even more rare.

The rider shook her head and pulled her thoughts out of their tirade before she began to process the current situation. Her earlier incident had led to Morgan taking her on a date to her private escape from everything, even Set. All things considered, she wasn't upset with the fact it was happening, just how it was happening but at the same time, the distraction would be nice. "Ok, this time I'll humor you, but care to explain why your presence in my life would motivate me?"

The Manakete was grinning even wider as the trap fell around her prey. "Because I'm not going to let you lay around and mope."

Savannah shook her head, not bothering to argue the flawed logic that she could always leave. The promise of competition did sound nice to her though, or at least when it was Morgan it did. She blamed the fact it felt like competing with a dragon and any chance of success is worthy of some praise. "We shall see about that Morgan. For now, let's just enjoy the day off of training."

"I'll only enjoy it because you accepted we are on a date. Lead the way milady." The Manakete's words and gestures caused a slight chuckle to escape Savannah, washing away the remnants of her foul mood, even if that stupid grin never left her face. The look of accomplishment shining from Morgan's face didn't help either. That girl is definitely shameless in everything.

The route Savannah took lacked any indication of an actual path, and Morgan assumed it was the occasional oak mixed in with all the different types of palm trees. They were spread enough not to be noticed, but they almost looked to be trail markers with how Savannah treated them. Morgan counted a total of twelve by the time they reached a small pond mostly hidden from above by the overhanging trees, but its very center was exposed to the sky above, and in its clarity Morgan could see the clouds and an occasional young dragon fly about.

Savannah then guided Morgan to a clump of roots the Manakete swore were shaped too perfectly to have been normal into a reclining chair that hung just above the pond so they could dip their feet in once their boots were off.

Savannah was shocked that she could count to ten and then some before Morgan spoke next. She would've sworn the girl wasn't capable of keeping still or quiet like she was currently doing. She had to admit she was grateful for the silence and it allowed both of them to take in everything about the secluded area that clearly was still her private spot. That fact also helped her to smile even more. "So Morgan, seeing as you clearly understand what a date entails, why don't you enlighten me."

"Well, I would… but the only dates I went on either were to torment a friend, which somehow had a very comical outcome actually. Then repaying that friend for making him go broke." Savannah had to laugh at what all popped in her mind at that messy explanation.

"So we both are hopeless huh? Well, at least we can enjoy this place a bit… Which would actually help me teach you about opening your mind like I promised." Savannah had to laugh at her friend's immediate reaction of jumping forward in joy only to splash into the shallow waters face first. "... after you calm down apparently."

Morgan was also laughing as she dragged herself out of the water and hid how grateful she was that her outfit doubled as a bathing suit. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just teach me already."

"It isn't that easy Morgan. There's even a chance you can't do it. Even if I'm willing to bet you will be fine in this regard unlike trying to maintain focus long enough to create a barrier." Savannah sighed as she pushed out with her mind to brush Morgans before she retreated back to her own. "The trick here is that you need to know where the barriers in your mind form as they act as the edge of your own consciousness. From there, you just envision you keep walking out into the darkness. I'm currently brushing my mind against yours so you can recognize it and have a point to search for."

Morgan nodded as she got comfortable on the roots again and did as told. At first she felt nothing, then all of a sudden it felt as if her feet had slipped off a cliff and she was falling through the sky into blackness. The girl opened her eyes to navigate her stumbling consciousness and stared into the green eyes of Savannah and focused on them. Within the blink of an eye after that, she felt a wall before her, a wall made of maps of Alagaesia and what little had been found outside of it. The maps then began burning away before her, and she saw herself standing in a village with cobblestone roads and multiple wooden buildings of various sizes. The roads were being traveled by various creatures. Morgan could spot the elves since their features were as angular as Eragon's own. Humans were everywhere and greeted every race openly, even the large creatures that stood at shortest six feet and tallest eight feet high, with thick muscular bodies covered in a yellowed leathery skin. Horns protruded from behind their ears giving them an appearance much like rams. Morgan was fascinated by these creatures until the scene changed and she was standing before Savannah again. 'Careful Morgan, I may barely be your senior, but through my bond with Set, my mind can be a bottomless pit for your first time. Now then, Seeing as you can manage the connection with a point of focus, let's exit this mindscape and enjoy the pond.'

Morgan felt her mind get pushed back gently, but not fully out of Savannah's own, it formed a tentative link that allowed both to share their emotions without words or actions. The sensation allowed both to fall into a sense of contentedness that remained for awhile longer as they just sat there and relaxed.

* * *

The next day came slowly for the two girls. The night was awkward as there was only one room and one bed, and since the two did agree that their earlier activity was a date, the thought of sharing a bed just made them uncomfortable. Morgan ended up taking the floor with a bedsheet so that she stayed within her friend's sight, she wasn't overstepping herself.

This led to a very poor sleep on the Manakete's part that she did her best to not complain about. Her ever happy attitude demanding a smile as she strode through the caverns towards the exit and where Eragon had contacted them to meet up.

After morning formalities at the cave's entrance, Eragon had both girls hop on Saphira's back with him before they flew off to one of the smaller islands to the west. "Now, before we land I want you both to swear in the ancient language that what you learn here will never be mentioned to anyone outside this group or Arya Drottning, the elven queen."

The leader of the Dragon Riders held a stern face and Morgan could tell they wouldn't land until the oaths were made. Savannah went first, reciting the words carefully and slowly so Morgan could repeat them afterwards without incident, satisfying Eragon's serious attitude the rider was thought to have disposed of a decade after the war.

"Good, with that, I will guide you to the most closely guarded secret since the defeat of Galbatorix a century ago." Saphira landed off the shore of the second to last island, the most overgrown of them since Savannah was here. Eragon guided the group into the thick of the growth and towards an unassuming rock. The ancient rider spoke a chant under his breath so none could hear it as the stone opened up like a set of double doors leading into the earth beneath them.

Savannah and Morgan were gestured to go before him so he could close the door as the three descended into the cavern that heated up with each step. "This is the nursery for the dragon eggs. Even the wild dragons respect this cave and keep their young safe within until they are ready and willing to hatch."

Eragon looked at the pair and gestured towards Morgan's dragonstone as he continued speaking. "However, that isn't the greatest secret these stone walls hide, nor why I had to bring you here. Dragons have an organ of sorts that is more stone than anything. This is called their Eldunari, their heart of hearts. After seeing how your own stone worked yesterday, I wanted to see how similar they were. The reason these stones are kept secret is the powers they hold and the cost of them being used. A dragon can store their consciousness within the stone and separate it from themselves. While alive, it allows them to mentally be in two places at once. They can be separated from their rider by an entire country and still maintain contact mentally, or transfer their magical stores without an out of the ordinary drain on themselves. The cost however is too high in most cases. Savannah, you know the bond between rider and dragon and its intensity? You know it isn't able to be overlooked? It binds all we are to each other, nothing is truly hidden between the two. Even in death they die together. At least they will unless the dragon disgorges its Eldunari. Their body will die alongside their rider yes, but their mind will live within the stone, trapping them in it until it is broken."

Eragon spoke of the Eldunari as the trio descended into a dimly lit cavern. The light source appeared to stem from below, but Morgan couldn't discern much about it other than it was also where the heat came from. Her attention was also distracted by the various shimmering stones of every color. It was a rainbow of gems and eggs if the larger and perfectly smooth rock like objects were to be looked at closer. Morgan felt the consciousness of the stones press upon her with the weight of the world as they tore through her very being, holding her down for several minutes under their barrage. In her pain, she barely noticed Savannah also plummet to her knees in a similar pain. Both were too stunned to scream, and as the presence left their minds, they could only sigh in relief that it was over. Both rose up at the same time with Savannah glaring and Morgan thinking things over outloud. "So the Eldunari are dragons trapped within stones who have lost their bodies?"

Eragon nodded before he lifted an eyebrow in silent discussion with something, most likely the many dragons trapped within this room. "Yes, and Umaroth and the others who just assaulted you apologize, but caution is necessary when it comes to hiding this information. They seem wary of remaining in your mind Morgan, any ideas why?"

"Grima. It's complicated but I think he is still alive even with what my father did to him. I'm assuming they feel my fear and having seen his evil, would rather not draw out the potential risk." Morgan looked around the room for confirmation and the nod from Eragon let her sigh in minor relief that she was right. "As for my dragonstone, it might be similar, but I'm not sure how much so. You may check though. I am aware though that all the power of our dragon halves is stored within the stone and prolonged use can cause one to descend into madness. I probably shouldn't use the stone again for a week at minimum if I wish to remain sane." The girl pulled out her necklace to hand off to Eragon as she spoke, not sure what he could find with a closer inspection.

After a few minutes of his staring, the man returned the stone to its owner and nodded to himself. "It feels more like a gemstone than an Eldunari. The energy stored within seems to regenerate itself though and maintain a certain point. I added my own energy and after a while, it began trickling out as if overflowing water in a cup. Thank you Morgan for humoring me. Now, let's get out of here."

The walk up took just as long and Morgan felt the chill of a breeze at the last few steps. The air rushing in as Eragon opened the door in front of her. While the group drew near Saphira, a presence grazed Morgan's mind. It's thoughts a mottled mess, images flashed before her of a field burning beneath the footfalls of countless dragons as they landed in an attempt to evade an onrushing death. An arrow pierced scales and hide and kept going. A claw tearing through a younger dragon, barely injuring the red nameless traitor as its teeth sank deep into the outstretched talon. Then fire came and drowned out everything. Nothing remained but the burning crimson flames of the traitor and his comrades. Morgan crashed to her knees screaming in pain as the images played over and over in her head, tearing away at her fraying psyche. The girl was slowly falling in on herself in pain, reliving everything she saw.

Savannah rushed to catch her but only got there within a second of the Manakete's face hitting the ground. She pushed with all the might her mind could produce to aid in saving her friend, quickly followed by Set. Eragon and Saphira tried to help but something dark was forming and they were trying to restrain the vaporous presence.

Savannah was no mage, and her mental combat was always subpar at best. So when she began focusing her strikes and trying to pry the malignant mind from Morgan's, it was the equivalent of trying to lift up Set without magic. She couldn't budge the presence an inch and it seemed to keep digging into the girl deeper. Set's aid wasn't much help due to his distance two islands over and Saphira demanding he maintain that physical distance, but the brown dragon did what he could to empower his rider.

The presence forming before Eragon reminded him of the Shade Durza. It was a culmination of malignant spirits seeking out a body. However, these spirits seemed different than normal as they were all tied together, almost forming a single being in their power, and they refused to approach the weaker minds of Savannah or Morgan. Eragon and Saphira only took note of the thing to begin with because it had made itself known by attacking Saphira in hopes of possessing her. A century of practice helped the great sapphire dragon fend off the mental onslaught, but she sought to trap it before any of the young ones approached. Set was only safe because he was keeping his distance as she instructed him upon the attack, but her mind was too occupied to warn off all the dragons. It was only a matter of time before disaster struck.

The various battles raged on for what felt like hours, but only ten minutes had passed before the first signs of doom struck. Savannah let out a yelp of surprise as her body flashed white alongside Morgan's while the Manakete took to her dragon form like she said she shouldn't. The white and green dragon then unleashed a blinding torrent of light down upon the mass of spirits as Savannah tried guiding the unleashed dragon and fell into it's mind.

Morgan's madness was a black cloud in her thoughts that Savannah had no clue how to approach, but she had no choice if she wished to save her friend and contain this destruction. The rider sprinted into the maelstrom in search of hope. ' _You said you'd push me Morgan. You weren't supposed to do it like this!'_ The mental scream was drowned in a gale of pained emotion. Whispers of lives lost and blood spilt hung in the mindscape afterwards like an echo while the looming cloud of madness remained unmoved. ' _If we live through this, I'll admit to enjoying your company. I'll admit to wanting to give you a chance. Will that bring you back to me?'_

Savannah felt the pressure change and an outside voice approach her while Morgan's body seemed to fall from the storm. This new entity felt like pure evil and beyond salvation. Without knowing anything, she could only assume this thing that looked like six red eyes glaring down at her from within the clouds was Grima. Savannah rushed over to Morgan and began shielding the body from the malignant gaze above them. 'This vessel is no longer needed. I would've liked to keep her though as a trophy of my victory. Oh well, it can die with the rest of you!' The presence then pressed down as hard as it could upon both of them, seeking to overwhelm both girls in its sheer power.

Back outside the mindscape, Eragon and Saphira had lost sight of the spirits in the blinding light and were now trying to pin the shockingly agile Manakete rampaging on the shores. Saphira was able to keep it grounded by buffeting it with her wings, but due to her height, it danced between her limbs. Eragon fared somewhat better but was constantly trying to preserve his supply of energy for later. Defensive wards only lasted so long before they became a burden, and Morgan's breath wasn't exactly something the ancient language had words for. Savannah's body had been ignored as the girl lay limp behind Morgan. ' _Saphira, do you think she has gone mad? Or does it look more like territorial instinct is kicking in?'_

' _I'd say she did go mad, but I think Savannah is somehow lost in Morgan's mind. Both girls are drowning in a storm.'_ Saphira thought as she launched assault after assault on the enclosed mind before her, trying not to be completely useless in her old age.

' _Let's try and get them out then. Also let's thank Set for getting every dragon away from this island.'_ Eragon leapt back from a tail being swung at him and progressed to using his mind as well as his movements to save the young ones.

His mind quickly found the black mass that was whatever was shielding Morgan's mind from assault and immediately began picking at it for weak points. His search wasn't long when he found entry through Savannah's connection. Whatever was happening clearly wasn't stable enough for holding a perfect mental barrier.

Inside the mindscape, he could see the raging storm and Savannah cradling Morgan's human body within a protective embrace as she stared defiantly into the clouds. Whatever was said was drowned out as winds roared with the emotions of the maddened Manakete. There was also a fourth presence in there that he could sense. One he recognized from the Eldunari freed from Galbatorix. The mad king had enslaved many fallen dragons into serving him, and with them his power had amplified to beyond anything imaginable. Some of the dragons simply couldn't recover what had been lost and Eragon couldn't bring himself to kill them in mercy. They were the last of their kind, and they held knowledge to save others. Surely he could save them with enough time. Time he didn't think they'd have anymore as the Dragon connected with the storming presence to destroy the girls' minds.

' _It's now or never I fear…'_ The elderly rider reached out to Saphira and further, connecting with the Eldunari held within the dragon's nest. Together they pushed with their combined might, manifesting much like a storming wind all their own and forced out the minds. Morgan and Savannah fell into blackness, disconnecting their minds from the spiderweb of connections used to save them.

Eragon then withdrew into his own mind and thanked the dragons for their assistance before gently easing the now both human girls onto Saphira's back. ' _This is bad.'_

* * *

Notes: Chapter 2 here we are a week early. I intend to upload every other week but don't hold your breath. As of right now, I'm just showing what the story looks like so that I can hopefully persuade somebody into beta reading it for me as I'm not the best at editing.

So yeah, if you wish to beta my story, please PM me and let me know. Other than that, favorite, follow, and/or review, do as you like to motivate me to keep going. Until next time, have a great life folks.


	3. Resurrected Nightmare

"Spoken common tongue"

'thought common tongue'

 _"Spoken ancient language"_

 _'Thought ancient language'_

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Ressurected Nightmare**

Brown eyes opened to see only the faint flickering of a torch lighting a vast cavern. The cavern seemed as vacant as all the others on the main island so the Manakete thought nothing of it until she noticed a mess of brown hair on her lap, and two hands clasped onto her left. The sight of Savannah like that left a warm feeling in Morgan's heart that quickly got washed away with panic as she remembered the pain from her last conscious moments. Grima had woken up, and he had an island of dragons he could slowly take control of to do as he pleased.

Morgan's thoughts were quickly interrupted from their dire turn as the other girl's head lifted and the duo's eyes met. "You're awake, good. I was afraid of the worst after that… whatever it was, descended on us…." Morgan noticed Savannah shiver and her cheeks were noticeably red in the poor lighting as she spoke barely above a whisper. "Well, an oath is an oath though, so I guess that means I'll be by your side for some time now, Morgan."

"Ummm what?" The Manakete was trying to remember what Savannah was talking about, but couldn't remember anything past images attacking her mind and Grima's laughter as he left her body.

Savannah fidgeted, very uncomfortable with what yesterday had driven her to doing, and now she was coming to realize exactly how unbreakable such things were. "I swore that should we survive, I would admit that I would be willing to give you a chance and that I'd stay by your side should you want it… I was scared I couldn't save you so I began screaming whatever I hoped would work," she said.

Morgan could see how uncomfortable the girl was, and realized that she had to tread carefully at this point lest she break the innocent girl before her. "I vaguely recall you talking in that musical language of yours, but I didn't know you were saying such things. Thank you, Savannah, for trying. Thank you for staying with me." Even though her mind ached and her body was stiff, the Manakete still leaned forward to hug her friend and be hugged in kind, both girls taking comfort in each other's presence.

Both decided to stay together and hold each other as a pair of footsteps were heard approaching, followed shortly by a brown haired boy in the same leather shirt and pants as Savannah fitted to his smaller frame. His brown eyes held a sense of relief as his face relaxed at seeing the two conscious girls. "Oh good, both of you are awake. Eragon-elda would like to know. I'll go get him."

The lean(?) boy rushed off, clearly out of his element with the two girls' moment being uninterrupted. Morgan giggled a little at the awkwardness, but other than that, neither truly noticed at first. "So, what exactly does this oath mean for the two of us? Are we a couple or should I take you on another date first?"

Savannah was biting her tongue at Morgan's playfulness. She did appreciate the effort put into keeping her spirit light, but she knew that they both were pressed for time with a dragon outside the mountain building a force to destroy everything. Noticing how upsetting her thoughts made her, she fully began to understand and appreciate Morgan's need to find something small to smile about. "I wouldn't know, shouldn't I meet your parents and ask to court you properly first?"

"We can worry about my parents after we deal with our dragon problem. Not sure how to fix that yet, but I refuse to be down."

Both girls jumped as clapping was heard from the entrance, where they noticed Eragon stood. "Well said Morgan, I see why you were allowed into the army so young. An attitude like that does wonders for morale. It's good to see you both up and yourselves so soon. I'm used to my patients being unconscious for days rather than hours." The old rider got a chuckle at the pair's stunned faces. "Relax, things are hardly ever that bad and unfortunately I'm not here for idle discussion. We have a serious threat to multiple lands growing and only one lead. I doubt you two were fully functioning yesterday when your minds were attacked, so I'll summarize."

When the elder rider noticed he had their full attention, he breathed in to begin: "Morgan was initially attacked by a dragon, specifically a wild dragon named Redclaw by the riders. He has a temper and wanted to prove Morgan's claims to being related to dragons are false. After the initial attack, what we are assuming to be Grima was pulled out of Morgan and swiftly targeted by a mentally distraught Manakete. The spirits that formed up Grima counterattacked you and began attempting to destroy both of you from the inside. The Eldunari, Saphira, and I all had to join minds to push out the two entities, who as we speak are rallying wild dragons to destroy Alagaesia and more. An ancient oath prevents Saphira or myself from killing any of these dragons, inhibiting us in resolving this conflict. This is not your fault, Morgan."

The Manakete hung her head in Savannah's shoulder, ashamed at what had come to pass because she wasn't strong enough to stop it beforehand. Savannah rubbed her back soothingly — their embrace having yet to be broken — and eyed her teacher and leader. "So you want us to find a solution? One that gets around your oaths?"

Eragon's face had twisted into a grimace as Savannah spoke. "I'm afraid so. Morgan is the only one with knowledge of our enemy and she also has his weakness at her disposal. You have whatever I can offer, and I suggest grabbing Magnhild too. The boy may be young, but he has a strong arm. You will need all the help you can get."His words were laced with dread, showing his discomfort in the situation. Unfortunately, their options were limited with so many oaths in place to seal him on the islands. The concept of a possessed dragon was something nobody ever imagined happening. He would have to contact both Arya and Alagaesia's current queen, Gweneviere, about this so they could be prepared.

Saphira entered everyone's minds from her regular post around the mountain. 'Sorry to interrupt the meeting, but I sense a group of dragons coming towards us, and their minds don't feel _friendly.'_

The girls rose to their feet quickly and Morgan took note of a pure white sword sheath strapped to Eragon's hip that wasn't there before. The rider caught her eye and removed it from his person to hand off to the Manakete. "After yesterday, I felt it best if you had a weapon in human form too. So I scoured the vaults for a blade befitting one who will be representing the Dragon Riders."

Morgan reverently grabbed the sheath, feeling a power radiate from a pearl within the hilt of the blade. The grip was worn leather and seemed to form to her hand as she pulled a blade white as snow clear out. The blade was a good fit for the girl, with it being almost perfect length and balance for her height and strength. It was also clearly designed for agility rather than hammering an enemy, as if a sparring sword, which Morgan greatly appreciated. She could tell this sword would do nicely as opposed to risking her allies.

Eragon spoke up as he saw Morgan finish eyeing up the old sword. "The blade is called _Varden Evanira_ which translates to _guardian sta_ r from the ancient language. I do not know who it's previous owner was, but I can tell that you will forge a new story for that blade."

Morgan nodded, lost in the feel of her practice swings. The blade was a better match than she thought and she would treasure it as the gift it was. "Thank you, Eragon. I believe this will help." Morgan then turned to Savannah and saw the girl had unsheathed her own dirt brown sword that screamed _defensive_ in its form. "Shall we go learn what we can then from our approaching guests?"

"We have no choice." Savannah hated this oncoming mess. She was no fighter and her own self doubts were eating away at her as she guided Morgan out into the main cavern where Set waited. Alongside Set was a violet colored Alagaesian Dragon that Savannah couldn't remember the name of, and the boy from earlier. The group formed up before exiting into the early morning light only to see the four approaching figures, and hear a roar of challenge.

"They definitely are not friendly. Savannah, you, Set, Magnhild, and his dragon will be in charge of gathering information from them as best you can. I'll distract them while you stand by and do that." Morgan wasn't sure about her strategy as everybody hopped onto their mounts, Morgan temporarily on Set as well, and charged into the looming confrontation.

Morgan wasn't sure she should, but as they approached, she reached out to Savannah mentally. 'Hold onto me will you. I'm going to need a leash.'

'What are you planning?' Savannah didn't bother hiding her concern or irritation as Morgan grinned, leaping off Set when they were within fifty feet of the wild dragons.

'I have this creeping feeling that my madness was tied to Grima. I'm going to use you as a lifeline so I can test my theory.' The Manakete then took to the skies beneath them, white scales shimmering under the sun as they threw off the enemy dragons formation.

Magnhild seized the opening Morgan left in their mental barriers, finding which one held the weakest at the change in situation. Of the four, all seemed to hold firm, but the young boy kept pushing as best he could while he stayed back.

Savannah looked over the oncoming attack, casting a spell to better improve her sight as she did so. The four dragons seemed to be at least twice the size of Magnhild's dragon, Regal she had heard him call her, and a few feet longer than Set. She couldn't decide on their ages to be exact, but she had a good guess. They were hunters to be sure, but instinct only went so far against a combination of that and experience, and Savannah could see Morgan had both, and something else by the looks of it. The girl's breath seemed to sear off their scales. She wasn't sure she could help physically if she tried with the potential friendly fire, but she could assist in finding an opening in their minds as Morgan went about fighting four on one.

The Manakete was in control, she was certain of that. Everytime she felt her thoughts waver and slip, she would feel the tug of Savannah on her mind as the other girl felt out the enemy's mind, seeking entry during her attacks. She also felt the awe, fear, and concern Savannah felt for her as she charged the enemy, mouth agape and divine breath spewing forth. The radiant light scorched at scales and when the enemy changed targets to isolate her as a threat, she soared upwards. They followed without thought and Morgan felt Savannah's frustration at them as she mentally screamed to her. 'They are using their instincts to guide them. It's doubling as a shield, and with your antics they are running purely on action right now.'

'I got this.' Morgan grinned beside herself as she saw the enemies gather beneath her and start spewing various colors of fire, obscuring their sight of her for only a few seconds.

Those few seconds she used to change direction to get out of the way while descending on them and shifting back to her human form, sword outstretched. _Varden Evanira_ tore into the flesh of the dragon at the lead of the group, slowing her descent and causing the beast to roar in pain. Morgan could feel its mind through her connection to Savannah, and aided in the push on the barriers before her ally, shortly joined by Magnhild and Regal. The beast fell quickly and each took over a different part of it. Savannah and Magnhild scoured its mind for information while Morgan mentally took the reigns of the dragon and guided it into a destructive attack on its comrades.

The Manakete quickly had to disengage however as the other dragons noticed her hanging on by an impaled blade. They all honed in on her, allowing her to use the constant buffeting of the wings to more easily withdraw her blade from the scales. Once freed and airborne she quickly transformed to reenter the fray.

She knew that the group was fortunate so far that she held their attention so completely, but also knew that it'd be a matter of time before they targeted Set and Regal.

Hoping to keep control over the battlefield, Morgan let out another stream of radiant light from her maw. Within seconds of the renewed chaos, the dragon she had leapt off of began to fall behind and eventually outright crash onto the ground. Morgan couldn't feel Savannah stretched out to it anymore and assumed it had died.

The other three seemed to quickly take note of their fallen leader and turned towards the two dragons who had yet to engage, staring with madness filled eyes. Set and Regal quickly started their own maneuvers, conscious of Morgan's position to them and avoiding her breath. The three each danced with an opponent, Set and Regal doing as best they could against the larger foes as they felt claws scrape against scales and wards.

The two dragons knew how to fight in these situations, but having to actually do so only sank in with each hit they took, and each hit brought them and their partners so much closer to the void. Set wouldn't stand for that and roared out in challenge as a stream of sunset brown flame left him to blind his foe. He took the opportunity to approach and sink his teeth into the other's neck and allow Savannah the chance she need to end their fight. His rider, for all her problems, at least knew when to get the job done. She hurried to sink her blade into the offered head of the beast before them while it thrashed against their wards, weakening both by the end of it all. Fortunately for them, they were the winners as the dragon crashed into the trees beneath them.

Magnhild struggled similarly upon Regal as she mirrored the trick and felt little resistance as her teeth sank in and her partner's blade dealt the ending blow. The pair however lacked the strength to continue and upon seeing Morgan bathing the last one in her white breath, retreated back to the cave. Magnhild let Regal do the talking as she addressed Set mentally to let him and the others know not to worry. The others followed shortly after, getting any last pieces of information they could. Morgan returned to human form to ride behind a ghostly pale Savannah.

With their minds still connected, Morgan felt Savannah sicken as the adrenaline faded and reality sank in. The Manakete leaned forward and hugged the panicking girl, aware that she needed the time to process things, but not willing to let her go far.

Savannah leaned into the hug, appreciating the contact but her body remained rigid and frozen in shock. "That was my first kill." The whispered words were barely heard with the rushing air around the pair. Morgan only caught it with her proximity to the weak girl who shivered as the reality of the situation came crashing down on her. "I've dealt with death before. As a rider it's actually a part of training to expand our minds to see everything around us and meditate. The first few times, I would find something and be drawn completely to one thing. I was in a bird's mind as it was eaten by a snake. I felt its mind be silenced by death. I swore after that I'd do all I could not to kill, yet here I am. At war and forced to snuff out the lives of that which would do the same to me." Morgan could hear the strain in the voice as Savannah refused to let out her emotions fully just yet..

"I can't say I've experienced it like that before, but I can say that I've been fighting for others and myself for awhile now. It doesn't get easier, but knowing you are doing it to make sure innocents don't have to fear for their own lives, and that the people beside you can return home to their families helps make it bearable." Morgan whispered into the still pale girl, and felt her breaths steadying as she did so.

Silence carried for a bit between the two as Savannah's will fought to hold in her pain, only to crack when Morgan attempted to spin her around only to lean in and tighten the embrace. The first sob broke free against her will, and the rest of her followed shortly after.

The Manakete sat there, holding her friend close, stroking her soft brown hair and whispering consolation as Savannah let out what would be the first of many moments to come in the following days. The sadness, grief, and guilt her friend expressed made her reinstate her old vow to shine a light through the dark, help free those suffering. Her father climbed out of the abyss, so why couldn't she help guide others away from it?

* * *

The brief flight was noticeably longer returning than it was going towards the point of conflict, and Morgan was beginning to think Set was keeping them aloft for Savannah to relax first. Her guess looked correct considering Savannah's improved condition by the time they returned to the caverns where everyone else waited for them.

The pair dismounted from the brown dragon and Morgan began the debriefing. "Alright, now that we are all back, let's gather to discuss what we learned and how to proceed. Set already shared the gathered information from the leading dragon. They were sent by Redclaw so that he could guide Grima to the mainland without interruption."

Eragon looked bothered that the threat was currently out of control, but Morgan could tell something helped hold him together. Taking note of that, she gestured for him to explain. "When you all left, I used a mirror to contact the leaders of each race so they could prepare for the threat in case things went wrong."

Morgan nodded towards the rider, grateful for the knowledge. "Good, that means when we get to Alagaesia ourselves, we can unite with the joint armies and assist in pushing back. Right now the main concerns are Grima's flight plans. He's going towards a place you call the _burning plains_ and then from there, Ilirea. I do not know the history of these places, so what worth would he get there?"

"They were both major battlefields for the fall of the riders, then latter being the fall of Galbatorix. Your memories showed he could raise the dead, would it be an accurate guess to say he is trying to build as large an army as large as possible in the shortest time?" Eragon said, his distress at not being of more use showing.

Morgan paused for a moment to think over the elder rider's words. "That would make sense. Let's assume that that is his goal for now and work from there. The issue I'm seeing is that with Grima all the way over here, and possessing dragons. We can't exactly harm him like that. The best plan is to find a way to isolate him from the rest so he can't get a new body."

"But if he's building an army overnight, how are we supposed to get to him and his dragons, let alone isolate him from them?" Savannah said, not enjoying the thought of endless fighting.

Morgan sighed, unsure about it too. "Yeah… We will have to figure something out about that. For now I think a plan B should be put into play. That would be to get Lucina, the princess of Ylisse, here. Her parallel Falchion can imprison Grima. That would seal him away from the remainder of his army and cut his power supply to the undead."

"And how exactly are we going to contact them? The only person they'd respond to would be you Morgan, and we need you here." Savannah's frustration was only growing with the issues in her friend's plans.

' _I think I can help there._ ' Set's voice echoed in everyone's thoughts, uncomfortable with yet aware of the need for, his input. 'My friend, we can maintain contact from afar if we must, and through me we could have Morgan speak. Have Morgan be your dragon here in Alagaesia, I shall carry the message to Ylisse.'

All but Magnhild seemed bothered by Set's thoughts, especially Savannah and Eragon. "Set, I can't ask you to do that-."

Set interrupted Morgan's words with a loud stomp before mentally speaking up with determination lacing his thoughts. ' _Desperate measures are required right now, and Savannah and I have already agreed that I'd be sharing her with you as our rider.'_

Morgan sighed, knowing she couldn't beat a dragon's stubbornness, "Very well, Set Dusktreader, I put my faith in you to carry the message of Grima's reawakening and your lands need for aid. As for that, I think we have a basic plan going forward. Let us all prepare then get moving towards our goals. Eragon, you will be in charge of informing the other leaders of our approach."

With those words spoken, the group separated into its smaller portion, with Eragon and Magnhild heading further into the caverns to different areas while Savannah and Morgan went outside to prepare with Set.

' _Are you sure you want to risk that, Set? Eragon explained the risks of removing your heart of hearts from within you. With the rising threat, I'd rather you didn't risk imprisonment.'_ Savannah was determined to not have Set go through with his plan, and Morgan was enjoying her stubbornness.

Set looked down into the eyes of his partner. Morgan watched as what looked like a rock rolled up his throat to be gently held in front of the girls within his tongue. ' _I am_.' Savannah had no choice but to accept the golden brown gem that fit into her open palm. Morgan could see a light dance within the stone like a fire, highlighting the rugged exterior of the stone. When the girl took the stone, the dragon took to the skies, flying east towards land only Morgan knew.

' _Be safe my friend_.' Savannah knew her thoughts reached out to her partner as he flew off.

* * *

Notes: First off, thank you hectorpriamides for accepting my Beta request. It will definitely help keep the quality from being my actual writing quality. Second off, after this chapter I wanted to begin the upload schedule of every other week starting today but it appears college is getting to me so that goal won't be happening. Sorry about that.

As always, favorite, follow, review, do as you please but every little bit helps me keep motivated to continue. Also if there are questions you can pm and I'll gladly answer. Til whenever, have a great life.


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